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Friday, May 24, 2013

Little Birdy skirt

I love skirts. Other than the logistics of sitting on the ground, I so much prefer them to shorts. And just when my thoughts swing toward sewing up some leg-baring options, Crafterhours announces their annual Skirt Week. How fortuitous!

This lovely Echino linen blend fabric was purchased for another purpose (an apron), but I kept coming back to it with a skirt in mind. Rifling through my pattern drawer revealed nothing that I was excited about, particularly for a single yard of fabric. So I drafted my own pattern!

Using this wonderful book and my own measurements, I drew up a basic A-line skirt pattern. Then, using the lines created by the darts, made a simple 6 gore skirt. Since all skirts need pockets, I cut the side pieces, added pocket bags and trimmed them with piping.

The skirt is completely lined in white muslin, since the linen is actually a little itchy. Besides, I like a few more layers to hide any lumps and bumps.

I did have to make some slight fit adjustments, but no more than I would have had to make with a commercial pattern. Maybe even fewer!

This is a little dressier than I need for my current role as stay-at-home mom, but I guess it just means I'll have to plan more lunch dates!

Hi Carolyn, I drafted the darts as you would for a regular A-line skirt, but drew a line perpendicular from the waistline down to the hem from the bottom of the darts. I cut on that line creating three pieces for the front and 3 for the back. So yes, the pieces get narrower at the top, but it's the exact size of the darts. (Don't forget to add seam allowance!)

I found your blog through Rae's spring top sewalong post, and then saw this! I try not to do too much commenting on the flickr groups so as to remain biased and fair, but hey, I'm not a judge, so I'm just going to go ahead and say that this is currently my favorite skirt in the running! Your fit and fabric choice and pocket detail - it's all perfection. Very nice :) And thanks for the two shout-outs :)

Brilliant! I used the same pattern (or, ah, well, you know..made from the same book) and also made panels but I love how yours is shaped in a straighter style. And, obviously, the fabric choice is brilliant. So glad that skirt week brought me to your blog! (I think my chances at winning skirt week are slimmer as a result but hey, life is to short to worry about that.) <3